Vettel happy with his standing

Sebastian Vettel does not believe he could be in a better position ahead of Sunday's Formula One title-deciding showdown in Brazil.

After trailing championship rival Fernando Alonso by 44 points at the end of the German Grand Prix in July, Vettel has reeled in the 31-year-old Spaniard with a stunning run of dominance.

In a Red Bull again firing on all cyllinders, Vettel has taken 133 points from the last 150 on offer to lead Alonso by 13 points going into their clash at Interlagos.

Bearing in mind Vettel has finished second and first at the last two races in Sao Paulo, and given his current form, it is hard to look beyond the 25-year-old German for a third world title.

Certainly Vettel could not be happier as he said: "The circuit seems to have suited our car in previous years.

"We need to confirm that for this weekend, so all eyes will be on practice, to start the weekend, to get into the groove.

"We can be as confident as possible at this stage. Obviously we know there is a lot ahead, but we are in a great position."

The great unknown, that could throw a spanner into the works, is the unpredictable Sao Paulo weather at this time of year.

There is time for it to change yet because at present rain is forecst for Sunday, with temperatures 14 degrees lower compared to Saturday.

"Weather-wise, it's Sao Paulo," said Vettel.

"It's the same as if you go to Spa where you know things can happen quickly and the weather can change a lot.

"I spoke to some locals and there was heavy rain three days ago which wasn't expected.

"On Sunday, there's some rain on the way, but then again you don't know how much and when.

"I asked Pirelli yesterday if they have all the containers here with the rain tyres, and that's the case, so I don't think we have to be concerned."

From Alonso's perspective, in a Ferrari severely lacking in one-lap pace compared to the Red Bull, so compromising his qualifying but able to compete on a Sunday in race conditions, it is simply a case of drive and hope for the best.

"We need to try to have a normal weekend, to score as many points as we can," said Alonso, who has to at least finish in the top three to have a chance of claiming his own third world title.

"Obviously it will be good to be on the podium and score a minimum 15 points, and when we cross the line we will see where Sebastian is and do the math after that.

"The frst priority is to be in the podium, which gives us the chance of overcoming the 13-point gap, but it is not in our hands.

"We don't have much to lose, we only have the possibility to win something and we will try to do our best."